What it means to be a full time blogger and full time employee

Hi loves! As my career progresses as a blogger and influencer, there is a question that receive on a daily basis: how do you do it? Many may not know this but I am also a full-time receptionist that spend 8-11 hours at her job throughout the week. On top of sleeping, exercising and eating, I am also in front of my laptop blogging about topics that make my heart soar. So today, I want to share with you all a little behind the scenes of Timeless Optimist and how I run my blog as a side hustle. I am hoping that these tips will help you start a blog if you have been wanting to do so too! So what does it meant to be a full-time blogger and full time employee?

It means being one hell of a planner. Yep. Planning is everything when it comes to running a blog – especially if you are doing everything on your own. I do not have anyone running my social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook. That mean I have to take time throughout the day engaging with my followers, tracking analytics and creating posts on a weekly basis. If you are looking to better streamline your blog content strategy here are some of the tools I use on a day-to-day basis:

Planoloy: This is the app that I use to help schedule my posts on Instagram (you can also use Planoly from your desktop too). I love it because it also serves as a mood board to ensure all of your photos match your aesthetic for your feed. Plus, you can schedule your Instagram posts in advance from Planoloy so that you do not have to be glued to your phone. Additionally, you can view stats as to which of your posts received the post engagement to help you plan out your content. I have a paid subscription with Planoloy which I pay $9 a month for.

ColorStory: Being on the go means you need to be able to edit photos from your phone. To me, ColorStory is the most user-friendly photo editing app. Editing photos are super simple on ColorStory and it now has a grid feature similar to Planoloy. As you edit your photos, you can also get a preview of how they are going to look on your feed.

Hootsuite: If I need to plan any posts on Twitter, I do it on Hootsuite. It provides a planner similar to Facebook, where you can schedule a post on any specific time and day after you link your Twitter account. I am using the free version FYI.

PeopleMap: This is a tool that takes a little bit of getting used to but it is so useful! I just started using it this year and it has been super helpful. It allows you to engage with your followers and track your engagement. PeopleMap has been a fantastic resource to provide brands and PR analytics (the perfect tool for crafting a perfect pitch).

It means being a multi-tasker. When you are a blogger, you are wearing several different hats. You are a writer, a stylist, a coordinator, project manager, PR agent, photographer and social media strategist. In summary: blogging is a lot of work. That is why it is CRUCIAL that you blog about topics that you love. To me, blogging is a creative outlet that needs to be enjoyable. The fact that I love the topic that I write about allow me to authentically and enthusiastically create content for you all to enjoy.

It means you are creative. Becoming a blogger has also helped me to become a amateur photographer. While I work with professional photographers from time to time (shout out to Belkin Images and Kate Vee Photography) I take most of my images with a shutter remote and my own DSL camera. I learned how to this to fellow petite fashion blogger Kileen from CutenLitte. I learned how to edit my photos from her here. My go-to present for lightroom can be purchased here. Since I work full time, I had to great creative as to how I was going to get my content. It takes practice but once you get the hand of things, it’s second nature!

It means you are a networker. I knew that blogging was a chance to have a creative outlet and maybe possibly as a monetized side hustle. What I did not plan on was connection and building relationships with other like-minded women like myself. I had had the pleasure to connect with some amazing bloggers who have also become close friends to me. I feel like my bachelors in business is finally getting put to good use. Blogging gives everyone an opportunity to meet with a plethora of professionals from various industries. Through social channels like Style Collective, I have had the chance to connect with local bloggers as well as bloggers all across the US.

It means you like to stay educated.You don’t have to be a student to be a blogger. But you are someone who loves to learn. Especially when it comes to topics you cannot get enough of. As a blogger, I always looking to understand more about social media, web design and inspiration for future posts. Podcasts like The Becoming Fearless Podcast and The Influencer Podcast have continued to keep me inspired as a writer as well as an influencer. Whether it is through podcasts, online articles or word of mouth, being an full time blogger means you love to dive into topics that help you grow as a professional.

If you find yourself agree with my points here, take a leap of faith! Start planning out your dream blog and make it is reality. Blogging, as I have pointed out, it not easy. I will tell you this – it does not feel like work when you are writing about topics you love. As long as you do that, you will always stay motivated and authentically engagement in your blog content.

Cristina,
I love that you made this post! As a blogger and full-time worker, I can totally relate to all of this! I find the ColorStay app interesting because it’s so hard for me to picture how my feed will look like while I’m editing photos so this app sounds great! Lightroom has been on my wish list for months now and I think I’m going to be purchasing it soon! One thing I REALLY need to work on is networking. I’m such an introvert that when I get invited to events, I always chicken out and stay home instead. My goal this year is to attend these events! Thank you so much for all the tips!